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Thursday, September 17, 2015

The irresistible illustrated diary of one very special London
dog--the perfect gift book for dog lovers of all stripes (and spots!)Hello. My name is Plum and I'm a whoosell--a whippet mixed
with Jack Russell and poodle. I especially like swimming, leaping, and
croissants, and my favorite fragrance is fox poop. I live with Emma, an
illustrator, and Rupert in London.

Over the last year, I've been keeping a diary. Emma helped with the pictures, but the words are all mine.Since 2012 Emma Chichester Clark has been delighting followers with her blog Plumdog,
which records the adventures, discoveries, wry observations, and social
engagements of her dog, Plum. Now Plum's best pages are collected in
this beautiful little storybook volume, which will delight anyone who
has ever loved a dog.

This is an entertaining
“picture book” for adults told in diary for from the viewpoint of a dog,
Plum. It can be easily read in one sitting and features beautiful drawings
and delightful observations from the canine world as well as from the human
world. Although most of diary entries are suitable to read to kids, some of
them have a curse word or two, which is why this is a book best suited for
adults looking for a different, fun read before bed.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Carolyn's not so
different from the other human beings around her. She's sure of it. She
likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone.
She even remembers what clothes are for.

After all, she was a normal American herself, once.

That
was a long time ago, of course—before the time she calls “adoption
day,” when she and a dozen other children found themselves being raised
by a man they learned to call Father.

Father could do strange
things. He could call light from darkness. Sometimes he raised the dead.
And when he was disobeyed, the consequences were terrible.

In
the years since Father took her in, Carolyn hasn't gotten out much.
Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to
Father's ancient Pelapi customs. They've studied the books in his
library and learned some of the secrets behind his equally ancient
power.

Now,
Father is missing. And if God truly is dead, the only thing that
matters is who will inherit his library—and with it, power over all of
creation.

As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her.

But
Carolyn can win. She's sure of it. What she doesn't realize is that her
victory may come at an unacceptable price—because in becoming a God,
she's forgotten a great deal about being human.

In all honesty, I
started this book with doubt that I would enjoy it. I am not a huge fantasy reader
and world-building tends to bore me, which is why I was wary about a novel
that, although it takes place in our world, has a pretty thorough universe of
its own.

The beginning is slow,
with introduction to characters that are not particularly likeable. It reminded
me a bit of Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, which I truly disliked. So the book
and I did not begin on the right foot. All of that to say, however, that from
about the middle of the novel onward, I fell in love with it. Once the
narrative took off, I just couldn’t put it down. It kept me reading long into
the night until the very end.

So, yes, it requires a
bit of patience when starting it, but it is worth the effort. From the ending,
I sincerely hope there will be a sequel.